


Mentorship

by Braxdovah



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade, White Wolf
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:35:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23779255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Braxdovah/pseuds/Braxdovah
Summary: Not all kings rule from a throne, Some work best in the dark
Relationships: El Rey/Lotus





	Mentorship

A message seems to bypass the computer or phones firewall/security.

A box with two button appears.

A Newuser wishes to talk to you. 

YES NO

Which do you press?

El Rey presses YES. 

[Newuser joins: El Rey]  
[Newuser joins: Lotus]

Good evening Mr. El Rey…..

I here you are someone to talk to, to learn things from.. .. .. ..

Just El Rey, depends on what you are looking to learn. I do not make a habit of teaching. At least, not the way people like to learn. 

I need to learn..how to run a city. I am moving to Orlando within the near future right now it is only 2 of us. But more may come.

Learning style change by person….I...need to learn this.. .. .. ..

You want to learn how to lead, how to guide those around you to help the Movement. I could teach you this but not over the computer. We would need to meet. I will come down that way. 

I am at your service, I can be where needed. Since it is you that is guiding me. Where do you need me to go?

Come out to Seattle. I am helping them get set up here. 

I will be there tomorrow morning, early.   
I look forward to this.

\--------------

On the edge of town, there is an very isolated upscale house with a solitary motorcycle parked out front. Leaning against the pillar of the porch is a lean, dangerous looking man in black, he gestures with the cigarette in his hand. 

“At least, you are resourceful. Now, Lotus, why me? I have never been Baron.” 

A young female approaches the porch, she is dress in black and purple and has two bags over a shoulder and one more in her left hand.

“I had to be to get where I am. El Rey, first and foremost, I need to know the back side of what the Tower does. The place I am going to has issues that will need to be cleared and I need to learn how to react to them appropriately….”   
“I need to learn personal strength. I got to where I am by blindly stumbling into it. I cannot keep that up. I am too new to the Movement to wish to screw myself and others over.”

“Well, I can teach you about the Tower and how to handle problems.” A black cat jumps up beside her. “Don’t bother running them off. You get used to them. These lessons may not be easy and I am not gentle when I solve problems.” He raises his left hand, the ring and pinky missing from it. “I had harsh lessons myself but I will not mistreat you to this extent.” 

She bites her lip, but her expression becomes resolute. She puts her hand out to the cat but doesn't try to reach it.  
“If they are useful, use them?” a pause, “I don't want easy. I can find cheap and easy somewhere else.”

“They don’t bite.” He smiles in a way that hints that he does and puts the cigarette out. “Come in, I am working on a project. This will be good to start with.” 

She mumbles that that isn't always a bad thing.

{He will take her into his war room and she can listen and work with him on his plans, his tastes are dark and opulent without garishness. He is busy dismantling several Cam holdings in a nearby town.} 

She looks around appreciative of the decor and layout of the room. Watching him work fascinates her, she stays easily out of his way, yet always a step behind him watching. 

“When the calls come in, what do you begin with?”

“For asking for my help or for when they notice I am doing this?” He reaches across the map and places a piece on it carefully. 

“Yes?” She asks.

“Same process, analyze my goals and then remove opposition piece by piece. If that means I need to weaken them until one of my allies takes them out great. Otherwise I weaken them and set them against a stronger force I can work with.” 

“So this is like Tak? Play the road to the end and block or out maneuver the opponent? But at the same time, make it road and game both highly useful to you and beautiful in death to your opponent. No one way to finish the game, but in the end you will end it. I like this.”

“You seem to understand the theory behind it. I have someone being brought here tonight, he is a ghoul to a Ventrue cape in the area. He has a lot of useful information in his head, so i will be working on making him tell me it. How would you get him to help you?”

“Sex, drugged blood, or money, are my go to’s…” She says simply. “Otherwise my power often works.”

“Where dominate fails, as it is likely to on this human, I find that ghouls can tolerate a large deal of torture but do not enjoy doing so and will start offering up anything to save their own hides. Are you squeamish?” He walks around behind her and leans over her shoulder. “Leaders must often dirty their hands to protect those under them.” 

“I can't dominate anyone….I can make their mind think things are real, but I cannot control...people.. that way…..”Her face drains of what little color is there and she freezes at him behind her.…. “I...I…” She shakes her head as a very tiny shiver passes her body “No. I have never been good around blood before..”she shoulder drop only slightly.

“Illusions can be just as effective as the real thing.” He whispers beside her ear. “Relax, I do not intend to harm you. But it might be helpful if you observe, unless you cannot manage it.” His tone is indulgent and slightly amused. 

She jumps and mutters *relax my ass*, louder, “I can control it,” She stiffens and stands straighter. She nods trying to hide that she is not relaxed.

El Rey pats her arm and moves to her side slightly. At this distance, the shadows in his eyes are deeper and seem to shift. “The ghoul is his accountant. He knows account numbers and passcodes. Not the whole puzzle but more than enough for me to get in and bleed off the strength of a pillar of the Tower. They are so complacent here that one of them having a momentary weakness will make them turn on each other rather than assume an outside force is attacking.” 

Lotus tries to avoid looking at him directly in eyes, “If we can get what you need I could make it look like the ghoul was responsible for giving it to his masters rival….While keeping you in full possession of what is taken... 

He smiles wolfishly and tilts his head toward her. “Tell me what you have in mind. You are starting in a direction I can enjoy. Would you like a drink?” He gestures to a nearby bar. He looks at the   
map in front of him and mutters softly in spanish. “Una flor o una serpiente ... chica que puede hacer a los dos.”

Her expression changes drastically, “Shells within shells, is the way to start. Ummm I don't drink much but I sorta trust ya, most likely a bad idea, but I am here so let's go with it?” She grins.  
“So with the plan, it hinges on someone that can make him think he is back at with his boss, I can give him the office and a computer that seems like his. Once there, with interference, we can get him to input the accounts and passwords in order to ‘help’ his boss clear out because an enemy,” She pauses and bites her lip, watching him. Speaking again,   
“Once with the false computer up, which would be hooked into another, all his efforts to transfer his boss's data to protect it would now be within our hands. There, new shells would be created to play to the Ventrue’s rival. Your hands clean and his fortune yours.” She finishes in a rush. 

He tilts his head as she speaks. “Write down what you need. I am curious as to how well your solution can work.” He pours her a drink and one for himself drifting back to her side. “Mezcal, the burn going down is normal. Your method would eliminate some of my guesswork and save me the time of torture.” El Rey seems to be looking her over a second time. No, no seeming that is definitely a once over of consideration. When he hands her the glass, his hand lingers for a moment. 

She takes the glass from him with her left hand and looks at his hand with an appraising look, glancing at his face as a bald python snake slithers out of her shirt sleeve and moves toward the glass they are both holding it stops short of his hand and it wraps around her left wrist.  
“Burn is good, it means you live.” Taking it and draining it. She grins lopsidedly. The burn hits and she sputters slightly, *shit she mutters*  
“I need a place that looks like or is an office room, pictures if possible of something close to where they worked, other than that, I need someone that has skills of control in order to make him think that he is helping his master by doing the asset transfers. After that it would go through computers to reroute the transfers and to make it look like the ghoul did this to actually help the rival.” 

He sips his twice before downing the rest. “I can provide the control. And I believe I have surveillance of the office. How long will this take to arrange?” He prowls over to the desk and lifts a cat out of the way to a stack of files. 

“How long do you need it to take? I take as long as you need, or as short as 30 minutes?” She toys with her now empty glass.

He flips thru a few of the files before bringing one over to the table. “Here is what I have on the accountant. You have 2 hours until he is delivered here.I want to try your idea before resorting to mine. Creative problem solving is a key skill for your goals.” He lays the pictures out. “I had him watched for a while to plan when to snatch him.” 

She looks over all the pictures and information quickly but only once to discard it to one side.  
“Will we be doing this in here,” Lotus asks glancing up at him and then down to her bags. She fidgets with one of the straps, she still does not seem to be wholly relaxed with him standing close. She bites her lip hard enough for a small bead of blood to form.

“I have an office downstairs that we can use for this.” He leans over and tilts her face towards his. “Granted, I have another want as well.” He kisses her firmly on the lips and pulls away. “Impress me.” 

The firmness of her face and lips fades away her body soon to fades from sight  
There is a whisper in El Rey's ear,   
"Now that is entirely not fair."   
As her hand reaches up from behind him to grab his hair under the ponytail and close to the skull. Standing on tiptoes she brushes the back of his neck with a breathless kiss.

He groans and turns on her, the shadows in the room growing.   
“You think you are clever, floare.” 

Her hand still entangled in his hair, but standing in front of him, she smirks. With a ghost of a presence toying up and down his back. Like fingers lightly over the skin.   
“Sometimes the flower is more than meets the eye?” She raises an eyebrow at him and pull his hair again.   
“What do you wish me to do?”She says looking up quickly and looking down avoiding looking him in the eye. There is a smirk on her face, which is belied by the fact she is shaking very very slightly. 

He mirrors the raise of her eyebrow and lifts her up against him with one arm, surprisingly strong for his build. “Your impudence will get you somewhere that will not be easy to escape from. Do you want my full attention?” His hips roll emphasizing ‘attention’. 

Blinking a few times, she bites her lip, unable to refrain from smirking. “I did seek you out did I not?” She moves with him, her arm wrapped around his neck with her hands, both now buried in his hair pulling and teasing. There is still a phantom touch of hands under his cloths, of light scratching.

The moment her words stop, he kisses her roughly, insistently taking control of this interplay. The shadows trace up her body and coalesce around her, holding her in place. They pull her hands away and he shakes his hair loose. He lifts the bags away from her and places them aside. “You are eating into your time to set up, but that is fine.” More shadows slip over her skin and start peeling away the other layers of her outfit. He moves behind her and whispers. “I promised to not harm you, but everything else is still an option.” 

A soft drawn out *shit* is muttered as she finds herself held by shadows, she squirms as the shadows peel off her outfit,   
“Now that is cheati…” She goes silent when he moves behind her, a slight twitch runs over her frame as he whispers in her ear. Once the clothing is removed, he sees that there are several tattoos across her back, left arm, and old scarification that looks that to have been redone recently and what could have been a branding on her neck.   
“Harm...what is your definition of the word?” She asks standing the shadows holding her in place, if she could be breathing her breath would be rapid, a level of control fear and pleasure rolls from her. 

His fingers trace up her spine and he sighs softly across the brand on her neck. “That would be telling.” The shadows tighten slightly and take hold of her legs. “You don’t want to know, you want to let your mind run rampant with fantasies of what cruelty I am capable of.” She can hear the rustle of fabric as his clothing falls away behind them. His body slips against hers, his left hand gliding across her stomach. His fangs graze her neck. “Sunteți minunat ca acest lucru vulnerabil și cutremur.” 

Not able to move from the shadows tightening over limbs, all she is able to do is lean back against his touch with another shiver. The room they are in begins to flicker as scenes shift as if from pages of different books; a dungeon with all torture implements, a bedroom with more modern tools of the trade, a surgical clean room…. Flashes or projections of blood and promise, fan throughout these flashes. She goes still as his fang brush her skin. Tilting her neck absently to the side where his mouth and fangs are, the phantom hand traces the same path up his spine as it did hers and continues to the back onto his head. A touch flits over his next and a pressure against his head towards her neck.

He bites the soft spot there, not drinking just holding her in his fangs. The tentacles lift her up and he slides into her. He fucks her slowly and forcefully, his hands caressing her flesh. 

A low moan pulls from her half open mouth as the bite is held. A gasp and her eyes fly open wide when he first enters her. Leaning back against both him and the bonds holding her up, she moves in time to his movements, riding the motion and moving her hips to exaggerate the motion as he fucks her. Where his hands touch, small shivers spread and she moans softly again, trying to avoiding crying out. The pain from the bite and him forcefully fucking her, quickly build up. Using the shadows holding her, she grabs them to pulls herself even closer on to him.   
Riding a wave a ecstasy and another gasping shudder, she laughs low, “mo leannán é , go bhfuil an chuid is fearr atá agat?” reverting to her native tongue, she moans and forces her way if possible further onto him riding him. “Tá mé cé mé, tá sé seo ach an méid is féidir leat a dhéanamh ??” She struggles with the shadows holding her in place.

He grips her hips and stops their motion, just barely inside her. His fangs pull from around the mouthful of flesh he had. “Watch your tone. I already want to mark your pretty skin.” Without his fangs in place, her neck throbs dully indicating a deep bruise already. “I think I will keep you, Lotus.”

Using the shadows holding her again she moves slowly against his hands, leaning her head back against him she finds his ear and bites it, her fangs to out, she mutters around his ear, “É do bharúil, marks bother me?” She says switching between gaelic and english. I cannot be choinnigh, El Rey” She bites down on his ear, nibbling it and flicking her tongue gently over his ear.

“No cage, but no one will give you what I can.”The words are soft and he smacks her ass. “Or would you like me to stop so you can set up?” There is a half threat in his voice. “No, I don’t think I will stop.” There is a groan in his words and he starts fucking her fast and hard. The tentacles give her slightly more play to leverage herself. 

She jumps slightly, releasing his ear as she literally meeps when he smacks her, she groans and wiggles her ass at his threat to stop. Grinding her ass against him, she leans back and says softly, she seems almost scared, “I can't do cages… but oy.. fuck don't stop, please.” She moves against him, matching his speed and frenzy. Her body begins to shudder against him as she begins to orgasm hard, clenching down as he continues. 

The tentacles vanish as his hands grip her arms, holding her tight to him as he climaxes. He buries his face in the back of her neck as they both settle. Inhaling her scent, he seems to be savoring the moment. Shifting his grip so his arms are wrapped around her, he relaxes slightly.   
“Havoc on a time schedule, I hope you can work well under pressure.” 

Finally relaxing against him, her hear back on his chest, she giggles slightly, “I would hope so. Can you?” She turns to face him, looking him in the eye she bites her lip again, smirks she leans down, knowing how sensitive it is, opens her mouth and cleans him. Looking up at him and sitting back on her heels, “Can I have my clothes back?” Blinking up at him grinning.

He nods and motions to the pile of clothing as he has to take a moment to regain the ability to speak. He dresses languidly. The brand spanning his right hip is an ornate rose and thorn design. It appears to be silver molten into his skin. “I function quite well under pressure or I would not have survived my accounting to join the Movement.” 

She stares unabashedly at the brand before it is covered. Her expression is almost neutral, but there is curiosity there as well. She grins easily… “You are by far more than meets the eye, El Rey.” She stares at his crotch as he puts his pants back on.  
Not bothering with half her clothes, she pulls her top and her skirt back on after she stuffs her feet into her boots. The rest she stuffs into her one of her bags   
“I believe we have a time crunch?” She says calmly. Grabbing both bags, she stands fluidly.

He dresses completely, tucking the ring he is wearing on a chain back under his shirt. A glance at the clock and he nods. “You have an hour to arrange your illusion, there is a less used office down the hall.” He smirks. “I tried having an assistant but he did not prove competent.” 

Flicking her currently blue hair over her shoulder she ties it back with a hair tie that strangely looks like the one he had been using earlier.   
“An hour is more than enough on my end. Illusions are what they are for who I build them to. Holding it for an hour is pushing it. But setting the room to match as closely to the pictures will help him and you.” Walking past him she opens the door and saunters down the hall, hesitating to which room it is.  
“Assistant….Is that what I am now? Secretary much?” Looking over her shoulder and raising an eyebrow at him.

“What do you mean by that? Second door, on the right. Do I need to do anything for the transfer portion?” He looks her over slowly. “More student than assistant.” His eyes stop on the ribbon but he says nothing. 

Opening the right door, “It’s a movie. Sorry.” She says absently looking at the room. “Maybe after this is over you can watch it. You may be amused...child's play.” She mutters the end part while moving her right hand even more absently.   
“hmmmm student….. at least let me get through one night with you, to impress you before you try that? … The room is good… Something though too clean? It is a bit dusty for this to work his office was impeccable.”

“It is what you requested is it not?” He walks down the hall and peers into the room. “I will have the staff come clean it.” There is a low chime when he presses a button by the door to the room.   
“I can have a room prepared for you, unless you would like to keep your bags on you at all times.”

She seems nonplussed at having others clean for her. Mutters *all I needed was pinesol and a rag*... “Yes you are right, that is what I had asked for from you.” Glancing up at him and back to the room. “No, I only need the one with my laptop.” She again seems both confident and slightly flustered.   
She begins moving around the room, placing certain items in certain spaces. A lamp just so,the chairs facing differently, looking at the wood desk she moves it with a little difficulty, to be centered from the walls closer to the far side of the room. Once these preparations several minutes later, she steps back and looks at the room with a nod.   
“My end is done until I see him. The room just needs a light dusting and it is set for my Illusions.” 

\------ 

Two hours into inserting the mortal into the illusion and he keeps beginning to process the transfers but stopping. “Wait to confirm.” El Rey looks over at Lotus. “He is expecting some sort of secondary confirmation.” He scowls and shakes his head. “It isn’t working. We will do it my way.” 

She stops her typing, placing both hands on the keyboard, beads of bloody sweat crown her head. The illusion slips slightly she tries to hold it, but it is clear at two hours in, she is running out of steam. Quietly, “I didn't expect the secondary failsafe.” Nodding, she hides a sickly look as he speaks. “I won't fail you again.” She stands from her chair and straightens up look up at him, holding it for a moment, before lowering her gaze again.

He nods and smiles. “I will need you to take notes.” El Rey walks into the room and motions for the mortal to follow him. “Come with me.” The mortal follows along to behind him as they move deeper into the house and down underground. The lower levels remain lush until at the end of the hall sits a polished wooden trap door. 

Grabbing a small tablet from her bag, she follows near silently behind them, there remains only a slight hesitation to her step as the ability to willingly leave El Rey fades. Knowing only what she has read can be behind the door, she does go white but follows stopping precisely two steps to El Rey's right.

He lifts the heavy trapdoor and ushers the mortal ahead of him. His other hand guides Lotus down as well. The mortal stops at the base of the stairs, his eyes glazed over with a fading mesmerism still. The room is dominated by heavy cabinets and a wide range of furniture that all possess two commonalities; a method of restraint and simple to wash. The room has overly clean scent. The door slams shut and tentacles snatch the poor accountant. He is drug onto a table and strapped in place. It seems he comes to a moment too late to attempt running. 

Moving with his touch, she moves down the stairs to the room. Stopping as she sees what the room consists of she truly goes white. The blood sweat frozen in a crown on her forehead stands out against the bloodless face. A shiver of fear and something else moves over her as she jumps when the door slams shut.  
Looking at the mortal as the shadows pull him wide eyed to the table and strap him down she bites her lip again.   
Unsure now as to what to do, she looks around wide eyed, waiting for some sort of direction as she is woefully out of her depth on this side of a table.

El Rey studies his victim and motions to the chair, with far more straps than should be standard. “Sit, floare. Now, as to you gringo, you will tell me every account, every validation code you know.” The man sputters in shock and El Rey studies his nails bored. “Y-- you would have to kill me first.” “They always say that.” His words drip with disinterest as he crosses to a cabinet and pulls out a roll of shining implements. “You know how hard that vitae makes you love your useless and frankly uncaring domitor, it makes it that much harder for me to accidentally kill you while I flay your arm.” 

Moving to the chair she sits carefully avoiding the restraints as best she can. As much as she wishes to look away, she watches every move El Rey makes. Gulping at his words she moves in the chair trying to sit still and not bump the straps. She takes an unneeded breath and seems to calm down as he takes the case out and talks to the retainer.

He hums an old Spanish ballad as he begins to score and cut the flesh. Each ribbon of it laid neatly to the side. “He will come looking.” “5 hours, you have been gone.” His hands move slowly. Either he is compensating for the missing fingers or it is deliberate. 

Lotus wants turn away, while her stomach rolls, she stares at what El Rey is doing to his victim. Cocking her head to one side she shifts again in the chair of restraint. The delicacy of his touch is fascinating and sickening. 

“Your body will start healing you soon. The blood does that.” The man tries locking his jaw but mewling whimpers of pain slip thru his teeth. “You see, I learned torture from masters at the trade. Rosewater masks the scent of fear.” He begins babbling quietly. “Speak up for the young lady. Tell her.” He stops it, had been a slip. El Rey shrugs and pulls a flask from the tools, dripping the liquid over the raw muscle. “Speak up.” 

Lotus's fingers fly silently over her tablet, as El Rey talks, and the captive babbles. Not taking her eyes off of El Rey, she fights her stomach knowing what will come next, but all the while her body is reacting to what he is doing to the retainer and she moves uncomfortably due to being morbidly turned on by it.

“If you live thru this, you will be mangled for life. Your beloved master, if he ever deigns to notice your absence, will consider you unfit for his service and his blood. He will decide you are a traitor to him for even being caught. You recall what happened to Carter and his family… that was his work. All because Carter had missed a meeting. You have one way to come out of this better than that. Take revenge, ruin him.” The man pales and starts speaking faster. El Rey steps away and scans the open cabinet before studying Lotus intently. The shadows on his face deepen, almost as if they are escaping from his eyes. A shadow traces up her arm, a shadow hand gripping her wrist. 

Lotus, leaning forward to catch the retainer’s words, her left hand, fingers fly over the tablet not looking but typing everything in a shorthand notation. Her eyes follow El Rey as he steps away, when he looks at her with the shadows darkening his face and eyes, she fixates on them, unable to look away from him. She shivers slightly in an involuntary reaction that her body is seeming to have from him. Twitching slightly as the shadow moves over her wrist, gripping it, she stares at it gripping her arm, before looking back up El Rey. The shadows coalescing around him continue to draw her eye to him. Like prey to a predator. She tries to remain focused on what he is doing to the retainer as she has a promise to not fail him again.

He pulls out a heating apparatus and a wicked looking quill. He lays them on the bench beside the skin. The ghoul keeps sharing every speck of word he can think of. “Preferred feeding habits?” “I don’t know, wait, wait…” El Rey had been lifting the blade to the ghouls cheek. “He likes to visit the embassy, foreign women, I have to allocate for airfare constantly.” 

Fingers typing every word between the two, she looks up at El Rey. Looking indecisive, she shakes her head and her face clears.   
“He is stalling.” She says flatly. 

El Rey smirks at her and nods. The blade notches his cheek. “She doesn’t like when you speak slowly.” He returns to flaying the man’s other arm. “He is hoping shock will drag him under but the Zeta's have a trick for that. Truth serum and a blend of chemicals to keep the victim awake and talking.”

From her chair and out of the retainer’s line of sight, she looks like she wants to ask a question but shakes her head again as it isn't the right time.“Shock won't help him here. But yes, I would like him to speak up and faster, the faster he goes, the faster his revenge for his uncaring dominator come to fruition.”

The man starts speaking faster and clearer and El Rey chuckles as he lights a cigarette. “Keep talking and she will tell me when she has enough.” He paces around, adding pain or serum when there appears to be hesitation. Every so often he stops to stare at her, licking along his fangs on at least one occasion. 

Her fingers fly in time to his words, nudging him carefully, she is able to pull the different shell accounts set for women, household finances, several of his businesses. The higer, closely kept, master accounts are harder to pull, and when he hesitates for too long, Lotus stops and sighs looking up at El Rey watching her, she looks up and down at him, and bites her lip again. “Look,” She says speaking to the retainer, “Step up, I need the final pieces, and I know you want to get back at him. This is it, and I am done.” A phantom hand touches his face gently in a pleading gesture. Nodding at El Rey when he continues to hesitate with the final answers. 

He holds the quill in the flame off the heating apparatus. “If you haven’t told her what she needs by the time I finish carving into your chest. I will be sending the same men that picked you up for the child of yours. The one that you sent off to Europe.” The white hot tip of the quill begins making precise strokes in flesh.

Lotus closes her eyes briefly as the retainer is carved on and after a moment opens them to watch El Rey's actions. “Do this for your honor and continuation. Give your daughter this, she deserves a life without the sins of the father following her.” The retainer’s silence holds all while El Rey continues carving flesh. Reheating the quill, El Rey moves his hand back over his chest when he cries out, “Wait-stop, please just let her live.” He breaks with his daughter being used as a chip against him. He gives the accounts codes and logs to use them. His tears fall silently and his head falls back. Lotus finishing the shorthand as he does, looks up at El Rey and nods. “I have it. I can build his accounts and do what was planned earlier.”

El Rey nods at Lotus and kisses the retainer’s cheek. “I am a man of my word. She will remain unharmed.” His eyes land on Lotus once more. “Come here. Come give him mercy.” The smile is cold but the blade he is offering her is sharp. He seems to be daring her to refuse him. 

She goes stock still and her eyes widen. Her mouth opens and closes once before she bites her lip to stop that. Closing her eyes, conflicting emotions crossing her face: Wanting to impress him, scared of this path, fear of him, sorrow for the retainer...she gulps and stands up. Putting the tablet down slowly, Lotus tries not to, but can't help at stalling a moment. With El Rey looking on, she holds her lip tight and moves to his side. Her eyes still wide, the fear of what he is asking is obvious in her face. She looks down at the retainer on the table and runs her eyes over what had been carved “Succor Broken” and at the peeled and broken flesh, the cuts on his face, and the tears still falling, before looking up at El Rey. Quietly, “I….don't know...how.” She looks back down at the broken man her face tinted green.

He slips behind her and slides the blade into her hand. “I will show you but you need get your hands dirty. You will be doing him a grand mercy by slitting his throat. Neither I nor his master kill so sweetly.” He uses her hand to press the blade to the jugular, allowing her to turn and hide her face from what their hands do. The warm blood still splashes up onto their intertwined fingers and the man gurgles as he expires. “Such a good job you are doing, floare.”

Once he slips behind her, and places the blade in her hand, she knows there is no going back. With his hand guiding hers, the knife bites deeply and quickly into the man's neck. Lotus does bury her face into his shirt briefly when the blood splatter up from their hands and hits her face and chest, before turning back to watch the retainers last moments. Her body shudders unceasingly against him, but with every ounce of composure she stands against him. When the retainer goes limp, and the bubbling blood slows and stops, only then does Lotus collapses retching, covered in her first kills’ blood. Kneeling there on the floor, next to the table with a dead man, she looks up at him and wipes her mouth on the back of her hand. Leaning forward she rests her head on his leg, still shivering. “Tá brón an domhain orm” she says softly. “I am so sorry.” she heaves again, but is able to control it this time.

He strokes her hair, unconcerned with the blood smearing from her clothing. “You did well enough. I will arrange for this delivery of Mr. Oslen to his former domitor. Go upstairs and clean up before finishing the project.” His voice is gentle and affectionate, like he is consoling her for a skinned knee. 

Resting her head against him, she shakes her head to clear it. Standing she nods, looking up at him, with the shadows still falling from his eyes, she only holds it briefly before dropping her gaze. Her face is still covered with blood, “Your office and how much time?” she says looking at her boots. Then standing tall looks up.   
\----  
By the time he joins her in the office he has washed up and changed into vaguely comfortable looking clothing, towel drying his hair as he joins her. “That is two Elders and with only one murder, not bad. How goes it?” He leans in a chair, the casual and easy demeanour disarmingly charming. 

Looking up on his entering the room, she stands wearing black jeans and a black, hooded shirt with the hood having been thrown over her head. Her new set up contains two laptops, the tablet from earlier, a bluetooth keyboard and mouse a headset which gets pulled off on him entering the room. She is scrubbed clean of blood and sweat and her currently blue hair is tied back with his hair tie from earlier. She looks steady but slightly subdued. “Well Sir, I have started on the programs needed for this to go off now that I have the needed information.” She grins as walls of text scroll over both screens as multiple programs seem to be running on both. The tablet looks to have music program running.

He comes around to look at the screens, absentmindedly stroking his fingers down her spine. “I do not understand half of this, but I assume I will see the results shortly. The money will help me set up havens and bolt holes as well as arm some key players to run out the local Cam. This is good work. They would do far worse.” He leans down as is telling a secret. “Granted, that means some Cam holdings will be ripe to have their valuables acquisitioned.”

Reacting to his touch, she absently moves her body into his touch as a light shiver runs down her spine. Looking back at the computers, she smiles at his words not trying to hide that for her this is as easy as breathing. “It already is starting to take effect Sir. Money management, done right is not nearly as hard as most people think. It is the shell game that makes it complex.” There is a shift from before, she is by no means relaxed around him, but it is slightly less than a deer caught in headlights feel. Once started on the computers and the aspects of what she is doing, she is extremely confident and her fear seems to evaporate, until he leans next to her and speaks quietly to her, her eyes close and a her body tenses a hair. “I...I can look into getting those holdings transferred out of the Tower’s grasp and into yours Sir...or was it something else you needed me to do Sir?”

“Do you need to watch the processes work? Am I altering your concentration?” He straightens and places his hand on the back of her neck. “I am curious if you still want to learn from me, or did my first lesson sour your desire for knowledge? Are you warned away so easily?” There is a teasing tone to his voice. 

She goes completely still when he places his hand on the back of her neck. Softly, “The systems will run without me staring at them wishing for data to run faster.” Tilting her head back over his hand to look at him, “I am still here am I not Sir?” Her eyes are currently blue to match her hair and while her voice is serious, the look she gives him seems to be testing the waters.

He leans down and kisses her lips gently. “You are still here, floare. We will see how long you last.” He pulls away and starts to walk from the room. “I would like to get to know more about you.” 

“If this is a challenge...I...accept...Sir.” She is breathless from the surprisingly gentle kiss. Following behind him, “ My name is Caitlyn Adair.” She starts, staying two steps behind him. “I am 27, I love the color deep purple and dye my hair regularly...Um Graduated college at 17 with a masters in Computer Science and have a host IT security certifications….but this isn't what you want is it?” She says softly following him through the the halls of the house. “I am a Satanist, have been since I was 12. I hate seeing others suffer. Yet, I enjoy pain for the sake of pain. I can be a smart ass, which has gotten me into trouble before.”

“What makes your unlife worth it? Why seek more suffering?” He glances back at her. “I am not an easy man to please but you seem to enjoy the danger. I want to know why you chose to be embraced.” 

“Unlife….it gave the talents I already had, more possibilities Sir.” She seemed to have been studying his back and ass. “For all that you terrify me, I...I want to please you...I am trying to find words for it. I am not normally like this Sir, and yes I enjoy danger of self. As to my embrace.” She looks down and looks lost within herself. “I never got that choice Sir….I uh. I stumbled on something I shouldn't have seen. I was found with the talents at hand and embraced instead of killed.”

He smiles and runs his fingers down her arm. “Accidents have led you to a very interesting unlife. Intriguing. What do you desire in this moment?” His fingers clasp around her wrist and he tugs her gently towards what appears to be the more lived in side of the house.

Goosebumps follow his fingers down her arm as she shakes her head trying to come out of her thoughts. She does not resist him in the slightest as he pulls her through the house. Watching where they are moving to now, she seems still in thoughts as she babbles, “My accidents are intriguing?” She asks and then continues quickly almost embarrassed, “I didn't come here expecting what happened, nor finding out what you are, Sir...I mean I knew your name and some of your reputation from before... but I didn't expect this outcome. My desires….” she bites her lip, unable to look away from him, “I desire beautiful pain Sir.” She blushes and looks away from him.

There is a decidedly feral gleam in his eyes as he licks his lips. “I can provide that to you, but only if you remain worthy of my time.”


End file.
